(2029). Turkey, French Style (Dinde A La Francaise)

Choose a small fat turkey; draw, singe and clean it well, extracting all the pin feathers; break the breastbone, remove it and fill the breast with an Engish bread dressing (No. 61); sew up the skin underneath and truss it for an entree (No. 178); lay it in a braziere of the same dimensions as the turkey, having it lined with slices of fat pork, moisten to half its height with mirepoix slock (No. 419) and let the liquid come to a boil; then cover the turkey with a thick buttered paper and cook for an hour and a half to two hours with the braziere well closed; simmer slowly while basting frequently. At the last moment drain off the turkey, untruss and dress on a rice foundation (Fig. 9a) surrounding it with clusters of cauliflower, mushroom heads, braised celery, glazed carrots and stuffed cucumbers, or else both, all being arranged in separate groups. Cover the breasts with some veloute sauce (No. 415) reduced with the stock already strained and skimmed, serving at the same time a sauce-boat of the same sauce.

Fig. 387..

(2030). Turkey With Cepes (Dinde Aux Cepes)

Pick out four dozen good unopened cepes weighing about four pounds, having them fresh, sound, and of equal size; cut off and peel the stalks, chop them up and cook in butter with a little chopped onion. Prepare a fine hash with one pound of veal, and one pound of fresh fat pork, seasoiling it highly, add the chopped cepes and a handful of soaked and pressed out bread-crumbs. Crack the breastbone of a fat turkey, remove the bone and fill in the empty space with the prepared dressing, sew the skin underneath and truss for entree (No. 178). Lay the bird in a buttered stew-pan covering the bottom with small squares of bacon; surround it with the peeled and seasoned cepes heads, and a bunch of parsley; season and moisten with a quart of stock (No. 194a); baste the turkey with butter, salt well, and place it in the oven to leave until the moistening is entirely reduced, then moisten again to half its height with more stock; boil, close the pan, and keep it cooking in the oven for three hours, pouring in a little broth at times while basting it occasionally. At the last moment drain off the turkey to untruss and dress on a dish surrounding it with the (('pes and bacon.

Strain the stock, skim it free of fat, then thicken and reduce with some good bechamel, (No. 409) and a few spoonfuls of half-glaze (No. 400). Pour a part of this over the turkey and the surplus in a sauce-boat.

(2031). Turkey Truffled And Garnished With Black Olives (Dinde Truffee Et Garnie D'Olives Noires)

Have a fine fat tender turkey weighing about eight or ten pounds; truffle it three days beforehand with two pounds of leaf lard, three bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, a very little crushed and chopped garlic, and two chopped up shallots. Peel three pounds of truffles, chop up the parings, and place all together in a vessel, cutting the large truffles into pieces. Strain the melted lard over these and let get cold, stirring the whole well together with a gill of brandy, and season. Fill up the turkey with this and insert a slice of thin fat pork between the breast skin and the meat; place on this fat pork slices of truffle. Truss for roasting ( No. 179) and wrap in buttered paper; lay it on a cradle spit Fig. 116), and cook for an hour and a half to two hours, basting frequently; unwrap it fifteen minutes before serving; salt and let acquire a good color. Dress on a long dish, garnish around with black olives, and serve separately some clear gravy (No. 404) taken from the drippings well skimmed and strained.